Friday, October 30, 2015

Tell It Like It Is

Psalm 15:1-3Eternal One, who is invited to stay in Your dwelling? Who is granted passage to Your holy mountain? Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right, and speaks honestly with truth from the heart. The one who doesn't speak evil against others or wrong his neighbor, or slander his friends.Our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, has the endearing quality of telling it like it is. Whether the news is good or bad, she consistently reports to her mother what happened during her day at kindergarten."Mommy, I was talking when the teacher was reading to the class, so I had to turn in a dollar today." (They have a play money reward system, and can cash their dollars in for a reward every Friday.)"Beverly wouldn't stop poking at me on the bus, so I whacked her with my lunch bag. She started crying, and I felt bad. I apologized, but I think she's still mad at me.""Guess what, Mommy? I have a boyfriend and one day we're going to get married." (It starts!)Yep! Virginia just comes right out with things. Maybe such fearless honesty comes with a five-year-old's territory. The cognitive skills aren't yet developed enough to think to tell anything but the truthBut there's also a definite element of trust. Virginia knows her mother will listen and not judge. If a situation requires correction, it is done with love and gentlenessVirginia has nothing to fear.And when I reflect upon what it means to speak honestly with truth from the heart, I think back to times in my own childhood when I lied about something. It was always, always because I feared, imagined or not, retribution and punishment should the truth come out. Yes, I admit it, I was a people-pleaser from the get-go and felt strongly that if I didn't keep up my "perfect" facade, no one would love me.I bought into that lie for way too many years . . .But when I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life, everything changed. The knowledge that I was loved as God's child, warts and all, and could trust in His saving grace replaced the who I wanted others to see with the authentic me.I could live with integrity.With truth from the heart.And like Virginia, I can tell it like it is, for I have nothing to fear.

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Have there been times in your life when you feared telling the truth?

Prayer: Father, help us to remember Jesus' promise that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Let us live fearlessly as we put our faith and trust in You, knowing You love us just as we are. May our words and actions reflect Your great love to others. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Martha, There's something freeing about being able to tell it like it is. I'm a little too strong on pleasing people. Yet in the Scriptures we read that we're to speak the truth in love. It can be very difficult to tell the truth when it could really hurt others.

Oh, yes, Kim, it's hard to speak the truth when we think it could hurt others. I believe that is precisely why God wants us to speak truth in love. If we focus on that person as a child of God, I think He will give us the ability to say the things that need to be said in a way that won't take away a person's dignity or offend them.And when I was your age, I was still in the people-pleasing mode more than I'd like to admit. It's not easy to stop, but with God's grace, we can.Love and blessings!

Hi Martha! What a great smile on your Virginia Rose! I love how open she is. There's just something so simple and lovely about the honesty of a child. And kudo's to your daughter who accepts what she says, and doesn't scold or make Virginia feel bad for sharing.

That's a good mirror for me. I need to as open as she is with my husband, and the people in my life. I like people to be honest with me! I should return that favor.You have such a wonderful family. What a blessing :)Ceil

Thank you, Ceil! I'm so proud of my daughter, too, for allowing Virginia to express herself and keeping criticism to a minimum. Nothing makes a person clam up faster than thinking they will be chastised for anything they might say.And Virginia always reminds me to do what Jesus told us - to become as little children, open and honest and loving.Love and blessings!

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Have you met Davy? Racer? Reverend? If you haven't you're missing out on a reading adventure bar none! I have six novels published, and you can visit me and order at my author's website: www.gladetrilogy.wix.com/theglade. Hope you will all become avid readers and fans! If you're on Facebook, you can also keep up with me at www.facebook.com/nantahala55.
I am blessed to be married to my wonderful Danny Together, we share four children (two "step" for each of us). We enjoy spending time with our seven-year-old granddaughter, Virginia Rose, and granddaughter, Savannah Jane, who just turned three this past April. Our third grand-girl, Alexandra Nancy, celebrated her second birthday on July 23. How blessed we are! We also share a deep love and commitment to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and rejoice in being heirs of the Kingdom through His sacrifice.